Formula 1 sets a dangerous precedent with Stroll and Leclerc incidents
General
- Ludo van Denderen
Even though the American Williams driver had to start all the way from the back in the Spanish Grand Prix this Sunday anyway, he did not escape an (otherwise unnecessary) grid penalty. The reason? Sargeant got in Lance Stroll's way during qualifying - to no avail for the Canadian. It was the same Stroll and also Charles Leclerc who received no penalty earlier in the day for apparently deliberately crashing into another driver. One minor offence is not allowed, and the other serious one is not. Incomprehensible because the stewards thereby set a precedent.
Obviously, Sargeant's penalty is justifiable. Obstructing another driver during qualifying always results in a grid penalty. Yet the average F1 fan will have looked strangely at the decisions made by the stewards in Barcelona on Saturday. Something fairly trivial and innocuous results in a penalty, but when Stroll drives into Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc takes revenge on Lando Norris moments later by also deliberately colliding, all the stewards say is: 'Shame! Don't do it again!'
No unsafe driving (?)
The document issued by the stewards after their decision states that Article 33.4 of the sporting regulations is in question. This states that a driver must not drive 'unnecessarily slowly, erratically or potentially dangerous to other drivers or persons'. Surely, deliberately crashing into someone would seem to satisfy the latter offence, but the stewards disagreed. They reported no dangerous driving in either case.
Lance Stroll frankly admitted to the stewards that he had deliberately crashed into Hamilton, expressing his displeasure with his rival's driving. It is to be commended that Stroll was so honest, something Leclerc did not show.
Ferrari's Monegasque explained that there was misjudgement here, as he went off the racing line too quickly. But that should be irrelevant. The fact is that Leclerc (and therefore Stroll anyway) took an action that was potentially dangerous to another driver, and thus a penalty is justified - and that is not a slap on the wrist.
Vettel did receive a penalty
In the past, drivers have been penalised for deliberately crashing into a competitor. For example, the incident involving Sebastian Vettel and Hamilton, when the former deliberately hit the Mercedes driver in Baku '17. For that, the German was given a stop-and-go penalty. With Saturday's decision, the stewards are creating a precedent for future cases. Apparently, it is permitted to express your displeasure with another driver by driving into him, risking damage to his car or injury to the driver.
In a subsequent incident - and the door is now wide open for this - it will be very difficult to impose a sanction on the 'offender'.
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